Region gets ready for Sandy

Sunday

Oct 28, 2012 at 2:00 PMOct 28, 2012 at 8:18 PM

By Priyanka Dayal McCluskey TELEGRAM & GAZETTE STAFF

Central Massachusetts residents stocked up on supplies, public officials mapped response plans and utilities began mobilizing crews today as they braced for the harsh winds and potentially devastating impact of Hurricane Sandy.

The large and lumbering storm, which could affect up to 60 million Americans, is expected to hit Massachusetts early tomorrow.

Gov. Deval L. Patrick asked all schools and colleges to close tomorrow. Speaking to reporters this afternoon from the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency headquarters in Framingham, he said all non-essential public employees should work from home and urged private-sector employees to do the same.

Power outages during this megastorm could be worse than the widespread outages experienced last year after Tropical Storm Irene, the governor noted.

Wind damage is expected throughout Massachusetts, but the south and east coasts also could see severe flooding. MEMA Director Kurt N. Schwartz urged coastal communities to order evacuations “if necessary.”

Forecasters expect the weather system dubbed “Frankenstorm” to hit Massachusetts around 2 a.m. Monday, at Martha's Vineyard. “By tomorrow afternoon,” the governor said, “the entire commonwealth will feel the effects of the hurricane.”

Many customers flocked to local stores over the weekend to stock up on storm supplies. At Home Depot in Worcester, 60 generators sold in less than two hours yesterday. Today, customers snatched up flashlights, batteries and other supplies as they waited for the retailer to receive new shipments of generators.

“People don't want to be without power like they were last year,” said Aaron Johnson, department head of hardware.

David Goparian browsed the aisles of Home Depot this afternoon for the second time in two days. He is as prepared as anyone can be. “I finished chopping firewood,” he said. “I prepared my generator … I fueled up all my vehicles... I cleared all the furniture off the deck … I got 10 gallons of water. I got toilet paper. I got some more canned goods … I made sure we had all the laundry done. All the phones are charged. All the flashlights are ready to go …”

Grocery stores were also busy. Customers at the Northboro Wegmans bought water and bread, and simple packaged foods like peanut butter and jelly.

“Lots of people are buying staples for their family,” perishables manager Matthew Finewood said. “We're in stock, and we have the products our customers need.”

The National Weather Service is forecasting heavy rain and strong winds tomorrow, with gusts as high as 55 miles per hour. The wind will likely bring down trees and power lines.

Hurricane Sandy is expected to move on by late tomorrow, but if previous storms are any indication, power outages could last for days.

National Grid, which supplies power to most of Central Massachusetts, vowed to be better prepared for Sandy than it was for two severe storms last year. The utility may have to pay millions of dollars in fines for its response to the 2011 storms.

Spokeswoman Charlotte McCormack said the company has summoned hundreds of workers from as far as Oregon and California to help with storm response. Some of the crews were setting up at the Best Western Royal Plaza Hotel in Marlboro today.

To foster communication with local officials, National Grid will have representatives stationed in all 172 Massachusetts cities and towns it covers, Ms. McCormack said.Worcester City Manager Michael V. O'Brien warned that the process of finding downed wires and restoring power still may be long and arduous.

Worcester could see 2 to 5 inches of rain in a 30-hour period, he said – less than what it received during Tropical Storm Irene. “But we expect higher winds than we did with Irene,” he said.

The city has established an Emergency Operations Center on Grove Street, where department heads will convene during the storm.

President Barack Obama today officially declared a state of emergency in Massachusetts, which makes the state eligible for federal aid. The governor said state police and National Guard troops are ready to respond to the storm.

The American Red Cross is also prepared, said Janet K. Warren, regional development officer in the agency's Worcester office. “We have shelters all ready to open, volunteers ready to staff them, we're getting food ready,” she said.

She urged smartphone users to download the hurricane app at redcross.org to get more information and find help.

Massachusetts residents can call 211 for storm-related information. To report power outages, National Grid customers can call (800) 465-1212. Customers of Unitil Corp. can call (888)-301-7700.

Schools and colleges across Central Massachusetts will be closed tomorrow, as will state office buildings. Worcester plans to follow the normal Monday schedule for trash and recycling collection, and trick-or-treating in the city is still planned for Wednesday.

Commuter rail and subway service will run on the normal weekday schedule, but transportation officials are warning customers to be prepared for major delays.